The Encroaching Darkness
by FlickerInTheDark
Summary: As Cosette and Marius age they must tackle the new struggles of age. ONE SHOT


**A/N: This one is a bittersweet story guys. Just a look into how age will affect their relationship. It interests me how with modern medicine this would could be fixed or treated. Enjoy.**

One day long after Cosette and Marius's children had grown up and sought their own lives, Cosette's life again changed. She was nearly 60 when she began squinting to see things. This was not uncommon, and she was not worried. Later that month she had the doctor come and he gave her some simple reading lenses. When Marius came home from work that evening he greeted his wife as usual and then he saw her glasses.

"My love, you have glasses," he said.

"Yes, I do monsieur. How very observant," she smiled.

"You look lovely! I can see those lovely blue eyes again at night," he beamed at her.

"The doctor said, I just needed some lenses for reading. Now I can read at night!" she exclaimed.

The two were joyous. Marius had never needed glasses but suspected he would in his own due time. He thought she looked sophisticated and even more beautiful. The two that night, enjoyed the first night in a while where Cosette could see her book. She was pleased she didn't have to take Marius's favorite spot by the fireplace. She knew he did not mind but she always felt bad when the sun went down and had to ask him if they could switch chairs.

The two were content for a few months when the squinting returned. She would take the glasses off, polish them with a small cloth and put them back on, only to see no improvement. Cosette would do this several times and each time forced to put down her beloved book. Marius noticed this and eventually said, "My dear, perhaps you need new lenses?"

"I think you are right, but I just bought these and it would be a shame to waste the money," she said turning to look at him. "Perhaps my eyes are just tired."

"We have enough money, for a new pair of glasses every week!" he laughed. "You rest more. You work too hard to keep this house running."

The two laughed as if they were still young exchanging a few hardly risqué jokes in whispers. Nothing had changed between the two of them. Cosette was still upbeat and compassionate. Marius was still a loving, dutiful husband. The two were in perfect harmony and even more so when they had children in the house. But when their children left the two returned to that youthful love.

But slowly Cosette realized she did need new glasses when the current lenses were nothing more than window glass. She asked the doctor back again and he agreed her eyes needed stronger lenses and prescribed her a new pair.

The two again shared the same glee as they had with the first pair of glasses. But this glee was short lived as in 2 weeks of having them, the glasses became little more than window glass.

"Marius, could you please look through my glasses?" she asked during a quiet evening.

"Of course but why?" he asked setting his newspaper down.

"I was just reading the letter our son sent us today again and I am having a bit of difficulty," she said passing the glasses over.

"They seem to be fine to me. I can't see out of them so they must be more then glass," he responded.

"I feared you might say that. Oh, Marius, I cannot keep going through glasses. I fear I will have to ask the doctor to come back," she replied taking back the glasses.

"Listen, I can come home tomorrow at 2. I can ask the doctor to come then and we can both find out the problem," he said.

"What? Why did you not tell me you were coming home early?" she asked.

"I was going to surprise you!" he laughed.

"Well, at least I will get to see you. Even if we spend the time with a doctor," she smiled.

The next day true as his word, Marius came home with the doctor at 2. They all sat in the drawing room and exchanged pleasantries. Then he quickly began to work.

"Madame Pontmercy, a pleasure to see you again. What seems to be the problem?" the old doctor said kindly.

"I am afraid the glasses you gave me not two weeks ago, no longer work," Cosette responded.

"How so?" the doctor said.

"Well, I cannot see well during the day or night. I wear the glasses all day but I still have a great deal of trouble seeing. I have started having problems seeing large print like signs," she said.

"Well, I don't know. I gave you those glasses about 2 weeks ago. Usually a person will go a few years before needed new ones," he replied rubbing his forehead.

"Is there any other glasses you can give her?" Marius interjected after being quiet the whole time.

"Well, yes of course. But I do not want to keep charging you for glasses," the doctor replied.

"I will pay whatever is needed," Marius assured.

"Not only that but future glasses will have to be made in elsewhere. Paris does not have the craftsman required."

"I will pay," Marius reassured.

"Perhaps. But I must look in Madame's eyes and then we will judge what to do. I may be stress or something else. If it is something else I can give her a tonic that will fix the problem," the doctor said calmly.

He instructed Cosette to keep her eyes open. He looked and noticed something strange. He then asked Cosette a question.

"Were you ever mortally ill as a child?" he asked her.

"Yes, several times," she said her voice distant.

"What made you ill?" the doctor asked.

"I do not know," she responded looking off into the distance and growing faint.

"Did you not see a doctor?" he asked.

"Please do not ask her of her anymore of her childhood! Needless to say it was unpleasant," Marius sharply said.

"Monsieur, I do not mean to offend, but I need to know so I can rule things out," the doctor said.

"I apologize for my rudeness doctor," Marius said.

"Well, I cannot say for sure. I must go back to my office and check my medical books. I will be back tomorrow and let you know for sure. I suspect nothing is wrong. But Madame should go to bed early. I may help with the eye strain," he said.

"I cannot be home until late. Could you come Saturday afternoon perhaps?" Marius asked.

"Marius I am fine. Tomorrow will work, you do not need to be here. I will tell you when you come home," she said.

The doctor packed his things and big the two a lovely night. Cosette did what the doctor said and retired early. But she could hardly sleep. When Marius came to bed he saw she was still awake.

"Cosette, you should be sleeping. You need to rest your lovely eyes," Marius said coming over and stroking her face.

"I cannot. I try but I keep worrying," she said.

"I know but we cannot do anything tonight. Rest my love," Marius said in the voice he used when she or the children were scared.

She did not sleep. All night she worried. She thought back to what the doctor said. She had been sick 3 major times. These times were in the dark days with the Thenardiers. She had been coughing and faint, but still had to do the chores. Cosette tried to push those memories away, they did not matter. She had been beaten the worse during those times. All 3 times are when a wealthy patron had insisted she see a doctor and had paid the fee. But the medicine was taken away as soon as it was clear she would live. Madame Thenardier had pawned off the remaining medicine to some peasant just desperate enough for a few doses.

Marius had left before she awoke. She had finally fallen asleep at 4 in the morning. When she awoke she saw a letter on the nightstand.

 _My dearest Cosette,_

 _I hope you can forgive me for not waking you up when I left. You looked so peaceful. I will be home tonight at 6. I apologize again for not being there when the doctor arrive. I am sure you are fine and need not worry._

 _Your doting husband,_

 _Marius_

Cosette felt comforted. She had not needed to worry and got up. She was happy again until the doctor came.

That evening Marius came home and he did not see Cosette in the drawing room where she usually was.

"Cosette?" he said in a louder voice than usual.

"Madame is in the bed chamber master Pontmercy," a maid said carrying a duster.

Marius instantly became worried and without removing his coat or hat ran up the stair to their bed chamber.

He knocked and without waiting opened the door to see Cosette. He saw she was in bed with a small photo. As he drew closer he saw it was the old photo of Cosette and her father. It was the only picture she had of her father. She sat rigidly without any emotion.

"Cosette, are you alright," he said coming over to the bed and dropping his stuff on the floor. He then sat on the bed facing his stony wife

"Marius," she said before looking away.

"What is it?" Marius aske scared.

"I am going blind," she said her voice shattering into sobs.

"What? Are you sure? Cosette look at me," he said frantically.

"You heard me. I am going blind," she turning to Marius will wet eyes.

"But how? The doctor suspected it was nothing. How can this be?" Marius asked growing angry.

Doctors were never right. As a child all too often when he had allergies he was forced to take disgusting medicine in dark brown bottles. When he was injured, the doctor said he was to die and when he lived that he would be crippled for life which was not true. When his daughter was ill when she was two, the doctor said she was going to die within a week, only to have his daughter make a full recovery.

"Isn't there a tonic? Is there no cure?" he asked.

"He said my illnesses as a child play no role. He said it was simply age. He said it happens to almost everyone to some extent. He suspects cataracts," she sobbed.

"Cosette, it will be alright," Marius said. He was not going to believe it. She was not old at all. How could she be going blind form age? His aunt had lost her vision but she was 80 for the same reason.

"He said it will be only a short time until I am blind," she sobbed clutching the photo close to her.

Marius moved closer to her and she rested her head on him. He stroked her hair and did not know what to say.

"Here let me take your photo. I don't want it to wrinkle," he said.

"No Marius. I could go blind any day now and I want to make sure I never forget what my father looked like," she said in a shaky voice.

The two sat like this all night. Marius did not go to work the next day. He wanted to make sure Cosette would be alright. The rest of the day she sat in silence, still looking at the photo. Marius could not miss another day of work and after that day had to leave her. Every day he would wake up, take breakfast to her and leave. When he came home she would not have moved and her lunch barely eaten.

That Saturday when he did not have work he decided to surprise her.

"Cosette, I have a surprise," he said late one morning.

"Marius, I don't feel up to it. Perhaps another day," she said.

"Please, for me. Please get dressed. I will be waiting in the drawing room. If you truly do not want to I will understand," he said pulling the door closed.

Marius waited in the drawing room for an hour. Just as he was about to give up, she came into the room. She was wearing a blue dress he had always loved on her. The two left and walked to the park by their home.

At the park they walked along. They finally came to a bench and sat. When they were sitting, he gave her a small bouquet of daisies he had kept in his coat. She lit up suddenly and Marius saw the light return momentarily.

"Cosette. Whatever should happen, know I still mean what I said all those years ago! I will never stop loving you. You are the most beautiful creature in the world. I will never leave your side and we will adjust as things come," he said.

Cosette felt much better on the inside. She had deep down feared he would stop loving her. She thought she would burden him down and he would leave her. The two became closer then. She soaked up this moment. She knew when she went blind she would keep this memory vivid.

The two returned home and after that day she became herself again. She grew back to her brightness slowly but eventually it seemed as nothing was wrong. Marius was happy to see his wife back to almost normal. They went on like this for a year. For a year it seemed the doctor was wrong. For a year they could almost forget. For a year the world was still bright.

But like the Sword of Damocles, she began losing her vision more aggressively the month after the last good year. That sword that had loomed over their heads was slowly being cut and each day was worse. As her vision worsened Marius stayed home as much as possible to help Cosette around the house. He had hired a servant solely to insure Cosette's safety when he was not around. Cosette never went down stairs without Marius. She never left the house but did learn to cope. Marius read to her the letters of their concerned children and books. The two managed along until one night after nearly a month of seeing nothing but blurriness it happened.

Cosette awoke in the night and said, "Marius?"

"Yes?" he said groggily.

"Light a candle," she said.

He was used to this. Sometime at night she would wake up to see nothing but darkness and she would think she had gone blind but wanted to make sure, so she had Marius light a candle. Each time she would be relieved to see it was only the dark. But this time the night stayed black.

Cosette was ready. She knew this moment was coming and now felt free from waiting.

"Cosette? Are you alright?" Marius asked.

"It happened," she replied.

"Oh, Cosette!" he said.

"I am fine. I feel like I no longer have to guess at which day it would happen," she said.

Marius felt devastated but he kept his voice calm. He remembered back to something a co-worker had said to him when he confessed the issue. His co- worker had a blind daughter from an accident and told him of Braille. Marius decided he would find more out. He learned Braille was usually for the young but he didn't want Cosette to never read again. It was her passion.

The next week he brought home a book. It was a book of Braille his co-worker had brought him. Marius could see the written text and thought he could surprise Cosette.

That night he told Cosette he had a book.

"What good will that do?" she laughed.

"It is in Braille. You can read with your fingertips. Let me show you," He said taking her soft and opening the book.

He then preceded to run her finger over each letter. Cosette's face lit up. She was filled with hope her thirst for reading had not ended. Another journey had begun.


End file.
